TUTTI CELLI CONTENTS-- volume 5, issue 3
What's New at ICS ** 3,900 members, Feuermann thesis,
Screen Saver **
Message from the Editor
Membership Letters
ICS Forum/Cello Chat Board
Music Festival Watch
ICS Library
Activities and Announcements William Pleeth
Dies
Other Internet Music Resources
ICS has almost 3,900 members! There are two new countries represented by
our membership -- Cameroon and Paraguay -- for a total of 74.
We have finished uploading Brinton Smith's excellent Doctoral Thesis on
Emanuel Feuermann. Through his detailed analysis of recordings, editions,
films, and interviews, Brinton gives us insight into Feuermann's artistic
process.
Marshall St. John has created an ICS screensaver that cycles through beautiful
pictures of cellos, and has a famous photograph of Pablo Casals at the White
House during the Kennedy administration.
We have changed our Cello Chat board provider. We have done this in an effort
to help prevent those blatantly inappropriate posts that occasionally appear.
We have added a new ICS staff member, Todd French, our Auction/Instrument
Specialist. He will be active in the Cello Chat board, and will host our
new bulletin board, "Instruments and Equipment." If you have any
questions about an instrument's history, value, or construction, he is an
excellent resource. He is a professional cellist (Los Angeles Opera and
Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra), Director of Fine Musical Instruments at Butterfield
and Butterfield's, and co-founder and chief instrument designer of StringWorks.
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR
I would like to share with you my feelings of gratitude for your involvement
in the Internet Cello Society. Our mission statement -- "The Internet
Cello Society (ICS) is an international, cyber community of cellists dedicated
to the sharing of the knowledge and joy of cello playing with enthusiasts
from around the world" -- is being realized more and more, not counting
the occasional Cello Chat skirmish (naughty, naughty, you Cello Chatters).
We are rapidly building a web of cellists around the world which, if one
member goes silent, his or her absence is more likely to be felt by the
rest of us. I recently experienced this when I learned of the passing of
William Pleeth; I truly felt a sense of loss. I also saw evidence of this
on the Cello Chat board, where many noticed when one of the regulars disappeared.
No, we don't want to form a Borg-like collective, where we are all of one
mind, but we do want to nurture a sense of connection between individual
members, communities, and countries.
Thank you all for your active support.
Tim Finholt
MEMBERSHIP LETTERS
>> I am a 16 year old cello student at the Las Vegas Academy of Performing
Arts. I am also an amateur herbalist. I have worked out an herbal remedy
that is both very effective and completely safe. A mixture of Red Clover
and Gotu Kola herbs is an excellent remedy for stage fright. The Red Clover
is a light sedative that is given mainly to infants; it will calm nerves
without inducing drowsiness. The Gotu Kola increases oxygen flow to the
brain; stimulating concentration and improving reflexes. Also, being a cellist,
I have developed treatments for ailments and injuries resulting from playing
a string instrument up to and including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a condition
that I suffer from.
lquiggle@email.msn.com
(Editor's Note: Please note that the above remedies, if safe and effective,
which Internet Cello Society has not verified, may treat the above symptoms.
They do not address the root causes of such symptoms, however. In conjunction
with any medicinal/medical treatments, we suggest that you spend time exploring
the potential causes of your stage fright, carpal tunnel syndrome, or any
other emotional and physical challenges associated with playing the cello.)
**If you would like to respond to something you have read in 'Tutti Celli',
write to editor@cello.org and type "Membership
Letter" in subject field. (Letters may be edited.)**
CONVERSATION WITH DIMITRY MARKEVITCH
by TIM FINHOLT
Concert cellist Dimitry Markevitch's interests cover a variety of areas,
including musicology, research into stylistic traditions, and teaching.
He is a member of the American Musicological Society and the Société
Française de Musicologie. He founded the Institut de Hautes Etudes
Musicales (IHEM) in Switzerland. He discovered the Westphal and Kellner
manuscripts of the Bach Suites, which had eluded musicologists for decades.
He published his own edition of the Bach Suites (in its 3rd edition), which
incorporates these manuscripts as well as the Magdalena. In 1964 he presented
his edition in recital in Carnegie Hall in New York, playing all six suites
in a single concert. He discovered two unknown works by Ludwig van Beethoven:
the Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, Opus 64, and the Kreutzer Sonata,
transcribed for cello by Czerny. He has also worked on editions of works
by Mussorgsky, De Falla, Stravinsky, and Shostakovitch. Dimitry Markevitch
is the author of "Cello Story" (which he is now updating), a book
on the cello, its history, repertoire and famous players. He was a pioneer
in the rediscovery of "authentic" instrumental techniques, performing
works composed prior to the 19th century on a baroque cello. He has particularly
explored the works for the unaccompanied cello and wrote a book on the subject,
"The Solo Cello," which he is also updating. He was the first
to record the complete Kodály Opus 8 Solo Cello Sonata as well as
two sonatas for cello and piano by Louis Abbiate with Bernard Ringeissen.
In 1992 he recorded the Bach Cello Suites and made the first recording of
the Seven Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Beethoven (the usual five plus
the Opus 17, in its original version for cello, and the Opus 64). He has
an extensive cello library that includes over 3,000 scores, for which a
catalog has been published.
TF: You studied with Maurice Eisenberg, author of "Cello Playing of
Today" and one of Pablo Casals' protégés. How was he
as a teacher?
DM: He was marvelous. Thanks to him I have a very solid technique to this
day. I began my studies with him when I was 7 years old at the Ecole Normale
in Paris and graduated at age 14 with what they call the "Licence de
Concert."
Eisenberg was a wonderful cellist. As a child, he started on the violin
and then switched to the cello. He had studied with Julius Klengel and Hugo
Becker in Germany, Alexanian in Paris, and finally Casals. During the time
he taught me, before World War II, he concertized quite a bit. When he was
on tour, Alexanian would take over his class at the École Normale.
Later, Eisenberg taught at the Longy School and Juilliard. He was a very
progressive cellist, playing first performances of many contemporary works.
Through Eisenberg, I had the opportunity to meet Pablo Casals when I was
8 years old or so. Eisenberg introduced me to Casals, saying, "Here
is a young man who would like to play like you one day." Casals had
a very intelligent reply, saying, "I hope he will play like himself."
After Eisenberg, I went to Piatigorsky. I had the benefit of two schools
-- first the Casals school through Eisenberg and then the Russian school
through Piatigorsky. I was very fortunate.
TF: When I listen to discussions of the great cellists of the early 20th
Century, I usually hear two names: Casals and Feuermann. Piatigorsky doesn't
seem to be mentioned as much.
DM: This is a pity because, for me, he's the greatest of all! If you haven't
heard Piatigorsky perform live you don't know what the cello can sound like.
Today we have Rostropovich and Yo-Yo Ma, but I still have in my ear Piatigorsky's
sound, which was very warm, generous, and powerful.
He also had a fantastic technique, which nobody has matched to this day.
As an example, nobody can do flying staccato the way he did. He could do
it up and down bow with no difficulty at all. He showed me how to do it
when I was 12 or 13 years old and I can still do it today thanks to him.
Rostropovich can't do it, which I find interesting, since it means that
the Russian school has somehow lost this facility. If you listen to some
of Piatigorsky's old records you will hear his phenomenal technique.
He was a very gifted and instinctive player and always played from his heart,
but he was also very interested in finding original editions and manuscripts.
He strove to play in an "authentic" manner, way before it became
fashionable. Thanks to Piatigorsky and his desire to go back to original
editions and manuscripts, the historian, Yves Gérard, thoroughly
researched Boccherini and his music and wrote a large volume on the composer,
just as Köchel did for Mozart. People forget Piatigorsky's deep commitment
to trying to understand the composers' original intentions.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
MEMBERSHIP SPOTLIGHT
SUSAN SQUILLACE
I started playing the cello in the second grade in Syracuse, New York. My
high school, West Genesee, had a great orchestra and I'm sure we played
major orchestral pieces similar to those currently being played by smaller
city orchestras. Nonetheless, our conductor, John Whitney, also encouraged
several of us to partake in "jazz lab" or to participate in pit
orchestras. In addition, we were fortunate to have major jazz and rock musicians
come and play with us (Jeff Tyzik, for example).
While I thoroughly enjoyed my studies with my cello teacher, what struck
me was that a cellist could also play music outside the mainstream classical
genre. Consequently, when I went on to college at St. Bonaventure University,
I signed up for jazz band, where I was the only string player. In addition,
some friends and I used to play at several of the coffeehouses -- two guitars
and a cello -- playing music from the Moody Blues to Peter Frampton.
At the age of 34, I have just finished my biggest gig -- a rock concert
at our church attended by over 400 people. I was on stage with my cello
and the rest of my band, which consists of two guitarists, a bass guitarist,
a keyboardist, a drummer, a violinist, and a vocalist. Okay, you may think
I am crazy, but several in the audience forgot how many 70's, 80's and 90's
rock and roll tunes used cello and they thoroughly enjoyed what we performed!
We played 18 songs total -- songs from the Moody Blues (who wrote many great
ones with cello), Doobie Brothers, REM, U2, and the great "Dust in
the Wind" by Kansas. I still enjoy classical music and play it occasionally.
However, there is nothing like reaching an audience of 17-70 year olds in
one night by breaking out the cello in this fashion. No matter how we use
it and in what capacity, it's still the cello!
FEATURE ARTICLE
CONFESSIONS OF A CHINESE ORCHESTRAL CELLIST
by BRANDON VOO
The adoption of western instruments in the Chinese orchestra is a fairly
recent phenomenon. To a person previously only accustomed to western symphony
orchestral music and watching a performance by a modern Chinese orchestra
for the first time, the very sight of cellos and double basses may seem
incredible. However, the function of the cello in a Chinese orchestra, much
like the violin in an Indian orchestra, has diverged slightly from the parent
musical tradition.
To begin with, in a Chinese orchestra, the cello has a function to perform
that is not present in the western symphony orchestra -- to support the
plucked string section. As such, pizzicato passages feature much more prominently
in Chinese orchestral pieces than is normal in the western symphonic repertoire.
Together with the double bass and other low pitched plucked string instruments
such as the "da ruan" and "da sanxian," the cello often
gives a strong resounding down-beat in pieces featuring adapted folk tunes
that require characteristic off-beat ostinato accompaniments from the plucked
string instruments. (e.g. "Autumn Moon" ).
However, the bass lines in most Chinese orchestral pieces have rarely approached
the complexity of the western symphonic repertoire. Some pieces, especially
those that are adaptations of traditional folk tunes, seldom even require
the use of the bow. As such, Chinese orchestra cellists have often been
ridiculed by their counterparts in the western symphony orchestras for their
poor mastery of bow technique. This prejudice, however, arose from conscious
contempt as well as snobbery, and the justification may be only partly true
in amateur Chinese orchestras of mediocre standards. Although technically
not a plucked string instrument, the cello is regarded as an integral part
of the plucked string section. In the Chinese orchestra, the cellist always
sits with the plucked string section.
Consequently, the cello has always been criticized for having been under-utilized
in the Chinese orchestra. Even when use of the bow is called for, it is
usually only to double the melodies played by the bowed string section,
(e.g. "Dance of the Yao People"), or to reinforce long drawn out
notes that are played by the plucked strings. Some will regard this as a
perversion of the instrument's capability, while others see it as a result
of the assimilation of a musical instrument from another culture that has
adapted to a vastly different musical tradition. A handful of Chinese orchestral
music composers have written fine bass lines. These include the works of
Liu Wen Jin (notably the "Great Wall Capriccio") and Liu Ming
Yuan. One outstanding work by the latter is "On the Prairie,"
which has a part for the cello that imitates the tone of the "matouqin,"
a traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument. The fast passage that follows
is reminiscent of a typical Baroque basso continuo line.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
STUDENT REPORT
CONVERSATION WITH A RECENT GRADUATE
by TIM FINHOLT
(Editor's Note: This interview was originally published in the October
1993 Seattle Violoncello Society newsletter)
The following interview is with a recent graduate from a prestigious music
academy on the East Coast. In order to encourage total honesty, I agreed
to make the interview anonymous. He presents a not often talked about aspect
of the music world: the competitive and political side of music. Watch how
his attitude changes from his young idealistic years to now, a professional
level cellist, who must try to survive in a highly competitive field of
other hungry musicians. Usually we read giddy, "music is so wonderful"
pieces from people who have a job and are successful. But what about those
who haven't made it yet? This is not a "sour-grapes" account,
however; I like to think that it's balanced with a clear love of music.
He is an excellent cellist and I have full confidence that he will find
his rightful place in the music profession.
TF: You were a music student and now you are looking for a job. How does
the job market look out there for a musician?
BD: Scary. There aren't too many jobs and those who have the orchestra jobs
are holding onto them. There are many more applicants than spaces, so the
competition is fierce.
TF: What about chamber music?
BD: That's even worse. It's almost impossible to get four people together
who have the same goal musically. As far as freelancing, only a small percentage
of people can make a living doing that. And then freelancing is frustrating
because there isn't any time to mold a piece and carve it into something
you're proud of, so you don't get the same fulfillment that you get from
a professional quartet. But freelancing does give you a lot of freedom and
you get to travel a lot. Unfortunately, there aren't too many open doors
anywhere, and the doors that are open are being swamped.
TF: How did you get started in music?
BD: Like most people, because of a love of music. Music was a beautiful
art, an ideal way to express myself. All I saw when I was younger were the
good sides of it. The great thing about playing music when you are younger
is that you are playing pieces for the first time. In youth orchestras you
have 150 people who are experiencing a Rachmaninoff or a Mahler symphony
for the first time. You share an incredible love and excitement with the
other young musicians. Some of the greatest experiences occur when you're
young.
TF: In high school, it was fun and you were with other interesting people.
You weren't thinking of it in terms of a way to make a living.
BD: It was more of a hobby. It was something I loved but did on the side.
I wasn't sure if music was what I wanted to do with my life. It was just
something that I enjoyed.
(Click here for the complete transcript)
FESTIVAL REPORT
1998 NEW DIRECTIONS CELLO ASSOCIATION FESTIVAL
by CHASE MORRISON
I had the good fortune of being involved with the last year's New Directions
Cello Association Festival at the University of Connecticut. The vibe was
very nice -- the venue is already a hotbed of cello activity during the
rest of the year thanks to cello instructor May Lou Ryland and her camp
of very talented students. The hall is great -- good sight lines, good acoustics,
good piano, and good audio equipment.
Originally, I submitted my works for multiple cellos, "Things Past,"
and was hoping to hear back from them as to whether or not they'd like to
include them on the cello Big Band program. Well, not only did they respond
in the affirmative, they asked me to conduct the whole cello Big Band program!
What a treat that was, with all kinds of cellists (electric, acoustic, country,
jazz, and rock backgrounds) coming together to read and perform works by
cellist composers.
There was a lot going during the festival's three days. Max Dyer came from
Texas with his trio PICO (cello, piano & drums) -- sort of a fusion,
funk, jazz sound. Max has a classical background with special interests
in jazz, folk, renaissance and Indian music. Aaron Minsky and his trio kicked
you-know-what in a more rockin' vein, using many of his own arrangements.
Hank Roberts came with his trio from Ithaca to spice things up with music
from folk to avant garde. He also gave a master class, as did Eugene Friesen,
Jami Sieber and Akua Dixon (these cellists all gave night-time concerts
as well). Sieber plays an electric cello, a 5-string Jensen, which was of
great interest to many -- great for arpeggios, and you don't even have to
get out of first position for anything if you don't want to. Dixon did a
jazz set of some great classic jazz composers. And Trevor Extor did a great
afternoon of Brazilian music.
There were companies present who showed off the latest in electric cellos
and accoutrements, sheet music, tapes, and CDs. My personal favorite discovery:
Sean Grissom's STOPPIN, the best little end-pin holder I've ever seen --
looks like a high-tech eraser and holds on any surface. I still get people
asking me about it everywhere I go. Most of all, it was a high to just be
around a lot of cellists who think there's a lot more to cello than just
etudes, concertos, and orchestra playing.
This June, New Directions Cello Association will again present three days
of festival at UConn Storrs, with Dave Baker, Nioka Workman, John Pointer,
and myself (leading the Big Band cellos, giving a workshop on getting the
bow moving, and a concert of Scottish music). Such variety under one roof!
I hope you'll attend this June 11-13, 1999. New Directions Cello Association
& Festival, 501 Linn St., Ithaca, NY 14850-3764
ICS AWARD WEBSITE
May/June Award Website:
*** MRS. WHITE'S SITE***
http://members.aol.com/PATWITE/mws.html
This is Patricia Natanek-White's website. An active ICS member, she is
a familiar voice on the Cello Chat board, where she is often referred to
as "Cello Mom." Her website includes many fine features, including
technique tips, pictures of her cello students, and a chat board. Her welcoming
and nurturing website demonstrates her deep commitment to teaching.
**Please notify Tim Finholt at editor@cello.org
of interesting websites that you would like to nominate for this recognition
in the future. Websites will be selected based on their content, cello relevance,
creativity and presentation style!
**If you would like to ask a question, discuss an issue or get some expert
advice, post a message at CELLOTALK, which is located at our website.
ICS Forum Hosts have been asked to check your posts regularly. In this way
not only the forum hosts, but the entire membership and Internet community
see your message! You are still welcome to contact the forum hosts directly.
For a complete list of ICS Forum Hosts please see http://www.cello.org/The_Society/Staff.html**
>> I'm having a few problems with a forced, nasal, thin sound when
I play on the A string around 4th and 5th position. My teacher tells me
that I need to relax, but this doesn't seem to help. I 'd really appreciate
any tips. Mothas Pat White replies: Here is an exercise I share with my
students: You need to learn to 'channel' your strength properly, because
one does need strength and force to play well, yet one also has to be relaxed,
which may seem like a contradiction. It is difficult to find the balance
between the two. First, think of your shoulders and back as the "power
source." With the index finger of your left hand, trace a line from
the shoulder of your bow arm down through the inside (left side closest
to the body, but on the top) of the arm to the inside of the hand and straight
to the index finger. I like to have my students summon to their memory that
car commercial which shows a ball-bearing running smoothly along the outer
lines of the car. That line you just traced is the 'line of power'. The
power of your back and shoulders travels through your arm to your first
finger. So, think of your arm as a 'pipeline'. A pipeline can get clogged,
right? What clogs the pipeline of the arm? Tension. If there is tension
in your arm, the power cannot get through. Now, here comes the exercise
part: Once the line of power has been established, you should have the first
finger feeling quite firm on the bow grip. This is your 'point of contact'.
With the bow in mid-string, press so that the stick actually comes down
and touches the hair. That takes pressure, and you need to channel that
pressure down the 'line of power.' While the stick is pressed to the hair,
relax your arm and try these three tests: 1. Can you roll your shoulders
in a relaxed, complete revolution --- with the stick still pressed and the
bow not wobbling? 2. Can you lift and lower your elbow, as if you are flying
--- with the stick still pressed and the bow not wobbling? 3. Can you remove
fingers 2,3, & 4 from the bow, leaving only thumb and index, and wave
with fingers 2,3, &4? With the stick still pressed and the bow not wobbling?
IF YES, then you are correctly channeling the power. IF NO, then keep at
it until the answer changes to YES! In the Prelude of the 1st Suite, Anner
Bylsma slows down and decrescendos the phrase (beginning at 6 measures before
the end) leading into that G-B-D, G-B-G-B section. Then, right before the
final chord, he decrescendos a bit. On the final chord, Bylsma uses almost
no vibrato, and holds the G a tiny bit longer than the B. I love all of
this, but I am wondering what others think of these ideas, particularly
the decrescendo into the phrase into the last section. It seems to be, though
I hesitate to use the word, 'unconventional'. I really like it! What do
you think? Laura Wichers Ludvig from Oslo replies: Many of the things that
Bylsma does should not be explained in terms of decrescendo, holding a note
a little bit longer, and so on. It's all about the breathing, the living
pulse, which takes harmonic tension into consideration. It's not about metronome
markings and such. The Early Music scene is respected because it "swings."
It swings because the players never use a metronome. Instead they dance.
Listenfeelit is all jazz!
>>Are the Popper Etudes worth the trouble? It is often difficult to
know when I am playing the right notes, since the music is hard to understand,
like in Etude #6. Anonymous
Bob replies: Popper's melodic language oftentimes follows no rules that
can be discerned. Many of the passages are based on finger patterns, and
are impossible to "hear" off the page. Thus, you have to simply
play everything slowly and often enough so that it sticks in your ear through
sheer repetition. Playing them on the piano is a good idea, as is playing
it an octave or two lower on the cello. With slow, careful practice I'm
sure you'll nail it. Having said that, I want to put forth the heretical
notion that studying truckloads of Popper etudes isn't the best use of one's
time. I say this as one who has done so, and compelled many, many hapless
students to do so as well. But as I grow older and wiser, and see what sorts
of things are really important on the cello, I feel like I may have misspent
a lot of time and energy. Popper is almost exclusively focused on the left
hand -- a comparison with the Piatti or Franchomme Caprices shows what is
lacking. But even taking him for what he offers, the question is: what's
that? Which Popper etude prepares you for the double-stops in the first
movement of the Saint-Saens concerto? The killer orchestra excepts like
the Beethoven 5th or Brahms 2d? I know many cellists who played Popper &
Gruetzmacher etudes like I never could, but who were still out of tune in
the Bach Suites. Etude #6 will not make your Haydn or Dvorak concerto any
easier, it won't do squat for your bow technique or sound in general (any
more than playing fast scales with detache bowing will), and at the end
of the day all you'll have learned is a sui generis melodic passage that
requires some unique hand contortions. I'm not recommending we throw the
book away. Some of this kind of stuff (Gruetzmacher too, whose crazy acrobatics
are even worse) is necessary to build agility, problem-solving, and confidence
in the upper register. But more and more, in my teaching, I've started substituting
orchestra and chamber music excerpts for etudes. This is "real world"
work, which doesn't get bogged down in theoretical abstractions, and has
a quicker payoff for the student, i.e. they can immediately use what they've
learned in their cello lives. A rich and varied scale life (including both
melodic & harmonic minors, arpeggios, and 3rds and 6ths), using different
rhythms, bowings, and fingerings should be the bulk of a cellist's technique
work. There have been several posts here commenting/wondering how Carter
Brey went so far after starting cello in his mid-teens. One reason he went
so far is that he practiced (and still may) scales for 2 hours every day.
Rose, too, worked like a dog on his basic technique throughout his life.
So if you're really a "scale junkie," you do a sensible amount
of Popper et al., and you regularly work on excerpts, you may consider yourself
a well-rounded, well-trained player.
Heather replies: Those objecting to etudes say that they are unmusical,
mechanical, and unnecessarily repetitious, and that the same technical results
can be achieved using solos and excerpts. I agree that etudes aren't great
music. But they do provide well-rounded practice on ALL technical aspects
of the instrument (You play many series of etudes by different composers,
thus ameliorating the problem Bob mentioned about Popper only focusing on
one area). Etudes build a solid, well-rounded technical foundation that
is simultaneously transferred to solos/excerpts, which are an integral part
of the diet also. I'd never suggest playing only etudes, yuk! Basically,
I fear that if I ONLY played scales, my little solos (turnover every 2 months
or so) and orchestra parts (one concert per semester), then I'd progress
very slowly indeed.
MUSIC FESTIVAL WATCH
"Music Making at Hiersac"
ellist Wolfgang Laufer, May 16-23, 1999, in France. www.yukonho.com/musicmaking
Hot Springs Music Festival,
Arkansas, a chance for young musicians to perform alongside seasoned professionals.
May 27-June 13. www.hotmusic.org
New Directions Cello Festival
Univ of Connecticut at Storrs, June 11-13, 1999. http://www.clarityconnect.com/webpages/ndca/festival/fest99/index.htm
Salisbury Symphony presents Cello-Fest '99,
Friday June 11 at Catawba College, Salisbury, North Carolina. Contact Sarah
Hall at sfhall@catawba.edu.
California ASTA Summer Institute of Chamber Music University of Redlands.
Victor Sazer, Artistic Director June 27-July 3 1999 vsazer@earthlink.net,
or call (310) 391-9787
Third Australasian International Cello Festival and Competition
Christchurch, New Zealand July 19-25, 1999 E-mail: a.ivashkin@music.canterbury.ac.nz
The Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival,
Lubeck, Germany, July 11 - Aug 29, 1999 www.shmf.de/mk-index-e.html
Cellibash '99 St Augustine,
Florida, August 2-7, 1999 http://home.att.net/~pineda/cellibash.html
International Cello Encounter Rio de Janeiro,
August 2 - 10, 1999 E-mail: dvichew@domain.com.br
4th Cello-Festival in Kronberg
(near Frankfurt) Germany, October 21-24. Help celebrate Janos Starker's
75th birthday with a program highlighting Hungarian cello music. Concerts,
masterclasses, films, lectures, exhibitions. Performers include Berger,
Hoffman, Isserlis, Kliegel, Maisky, Perenyi, Pergamenschikow, Starker, Tsutsumi
and the Cellissimo Ensemble. Details from IKACello@aol.com.
Starker Cello Class
The Indiana University School of Music will be presenting the Janos
Starker Cello Class from July 15 - 18, 1999. This class is open to professional
cellists, established ensembles, students, teachers, and advanced amateurs.
Chamber groups (more than two players) will receive a tuition discount.
Pianists (for duos) do not have to register or pay tuition. The class covers
all periods for cello and ensembles with cello. Auditors are welcome in
the class. Practice facilities will be available for performers. Qualified
pre-college cellists will be accepted; however, dormitory housing is not
available for participants under 21. Pre-college participants should be
accompanied by a parent or special arrangements should be made for housing
and general welfare. For more information contact: Office of Special Programs,
Indiana University School of Music, Bloomington, IN 47405. Phone: 812-855-1814
Fax: 812-855-9847 E-mail: musicsp@indiana.edu.
Irene Sharp Cello Seminar,
June 14-18, 1999 Mannes College of Music, New York Phone: (650) 493-1545,
FAX: (650) 858-2075 ISharp@PacBell.net
Margaret Rowell Cello Seminar,
June 7-11, 1999 San Francisco Conservatory of Music Phone: (415) 759-3454,
FAX: (415) 759-3499 cin@sfcm.edu, http://www.sfcm.edu
Workshops at Summer Keys
The Cello Workshop at SummerKeys opened its doors in 1995, utilizing the
same basic precept as the original piano program: an intensive practice/study
vacation for busy adults (who rarely have this kind of time to devote to
their instrument during the rest of the year) in a breathtakingly beautiful
setting, with half of each day available for sightseeing. August 23 - 27;
August 30 - September 3, 1999 http://www.nemaine.com/summerkeys/cello.htm
Festival in Holland
May 13-16, 1999, in Dordrecht, the oldest town of Holland, there will
be a marvelous cello festival. About 120 Cellists, amateur and professionals
at the age from 8 till 80 meet each other in the very beautiful center of
the town. There are daily master classes, lessons, and workshops. In the
evening there are two recitals in the Church of the Augustins. The following
international famous artists are coming to teach and play: Harro Ruijsenaars,
Ernst Reijseger, Larissa Groeneveld, Zvi Maschkowski, Monique Bartels, Floris
Mijnders, Lucia Swarts. The fee for the festival, including all concerts
is f195,00. There is possibility to live with host families. For more information,
please, call the Music School, Phone 31.78.6484563, or fax 31.78.6484566
And looking further ahead:
Manchester International Cello Festival, Manchester U.K. May 3-7,
2000.
World Cello Congress III, Baltimore, Maryland May 28 - June 4, 2000
www.towson.edu/~breazeal/cello.htm
Leonard Rose International Cello Competition and Festival, College
Park, Maryland July 19-28, 2001. www.inform.umd.edu/rossboroughfestival/rose
** If you have announcements, comments or reviews of music festivals, please
write Roberta Rominger at roberta@rominger.surfaid.org
**
ICS LIBRARY
**Sarah Dorsey, official ICS librarian at sarah_dorsey@uncg.edu.
(Please do not abuse this valuable service; check local libraries and resources
before contacting Sarah.) If you know of newsletters, teaching materials,
references, lists or articles that should be added to ICS Library, please
send data to director@cello.org. (Library
contents will be available to all Internet users; please include author
and written statement of release for unlimited or limited reproduction.)**
ACTIVITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
** Members can submit announcements or news to editor@cello.org
**
1. William Pleeth has died
British cellist William Pleeth died on April 6, 1999, at the age of 83.
He was one of the great cellists and pedagogues of the 20th Century. Although
probably best known as the teacher of Jacqueline du Pre, he had an outstanding
performing career, especially with the Allegri Quartet, which he founded
in 1952. Robert Cohen and his son, baroque cellist Anthony Pleeth, are among
his other well-known students. He also wrote a wonderful book called, "Cello,"
which is part of the Yehudi Menuhin Music Guide series.
2. Shafran Memorial Fund
British cellist Steven Isserlis has launched a memorial fund to raise money
for a gravestone for Russian cellist, Daniil Shafran, who died in 1997.
The estimated cost is $4,000. Contributions (preferably in sterling) should
be made payable to "The Daniil Shafran Memorial Fund," and sent
to:
"The Daniil Shafran Memorial Fund" Barclays Bank, PO Box 961,
128 Moorgate, London EC2M 6SX, UK. Bank Account No: 70035645, sort code
20.32.00 Steven Isserlis c/o Harrison Parrot Ltd. macbethg@btinternet.com
3. Webber Sabbatical
British cellist Julian Lloyd Webber is taking a sabbatical during the 1999-2000
season. He plans to use the time to explore new cello repertoire and to
work on the new pieces that Philip Glass and James MacMillan are writing
for his 50th birthday in April 2001.
4. Alan Harris at Eastman
Alan Harris has returned to a full-time position with the Eastman School
of Music, where he taught full-time from 1965 to 1976, and was a part-time
visiting professor in the 1980's and '90's. Most recently, Harris taught
at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
5. Yo-Yo Ma Grammy
Yo-Yo Ma won a Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album for his CD,
"Soul of the Tango: The Music of Astor Piazzolla."
6. Contest Winner
Polish cellist, Rafal Kwiatkowski, age 20, was a winner in the 1999 Young
Concert Artists International Auditions.
7. World Cello Congress Composition Contest
The World Cello Congress III will be awarding a $5,000 prize in its International
Composer's Competition. The winning composition will be played by a cello
ensemble of more than 200 players on June 3, 2000, at the conclusion of
the Congress. Compositions must be received by November 1, 1999. See http://www.towson.edu/~breazeal/cello.htm
for more information.
8. Starker Celebration
Indiana University School of Music and the Eva Janzer Memorial Cello Center
cordially invite all cellists to participate in a gala event September 14,
1999 honoring Janos Starker on the occasion of his 75th birthday. The celebration's
main events will include a concert featuring Janos Starker, William Preucil,
Jr., Gary Hoffman, Maria Kliegel, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and Mstislav Rostropovich
conducting the Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra. A mass cello-ensemble
will crown the festivities and every one is encouraged to participate. Emilio
Colon Executive Vice President Eva Janzer Memorial Cello Center Indiana
University School of Music Bloomington, Indiana 47405 Office: (812) 855-6644
Fax: (812) 855-4936 email: cello@indiana.edu http://www.music.indiana.edu/som/ejmccf/
OTHER INTERNET MUSIC RESOURCES
** ICS NET Resource Editor: Deborah Netanel at netaned@email.uc.edu
**
"Maestro" Instructional Videos
http://www.cybersuperstores.com/music/cello.html
Luigi Silva Music Collection
http://www.uncg.edu/lib/speccoll/cello/lsintro.html
Jerusalem String Trio
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/4564/
Net Instruments - musical instrument classifieds
http://www.netinstruments.com
Copyright © 1999 Internet Cello Society
